Basic Research for Lianhuanhua

Several key issues have emerged through my research. They are listed below :1) Chinese comic books (lianhuanhua) published after the establishment of the People's Republic of China, especially those from the 60s and the 70s, were entered into a database. This collection contains used versions, rather than new publications. By analyzing these data, I will discuss important issues on readership, like the disposal of the so-called "Poisonous Weeds" (ducao, "detrimental books"), which took place in the libraries during the Cultural Revolution.2) The majority of these comic books were translations. From these, an examination of the translations of children's literature and picture books of the Soviet Union from the 50s to the 70s has produced particulary interesting results. The specifics of these results will be presented.3) Even for the same title, illustrations and text could differ based on the different versions of the book. Observations on these disparities will be addressed. For inst … More ance, in texts that treat Lei Feng, differences in the depictions of the soldiers' clothes and in the images of Mao Zedong in the background are apparent. Furthermore, toward the end of the twentieth century, numerous reproductions of Chinese comic books were produced. However, since many textual disparities exist between them and the originals, it has become evident that they cannot be designated as "reproductions." This fact should serve as a warning for those scholars researching Chinese comic books.4) As for journals of Chinese comic books, I have obtained Lianhuan huabao (Illustrated Journal of Chinese Comics), Gongnongbing huabao (Illustrated Journal of Factory Workers, Farmers, and Soldiers), and the children's magazine Hong xiaobing (The Little Red Guard) published during the Cultural Revolution. I am currently working on producing a table of contents and other pertinent information for these items.I will continue to investigate these issues and will publish their results accordingly. Less

Several key issues have emerged through my research. They are listed below :1) Chinese comic books (lianhuanhua) published after the establishment of the People's Republic of China, especially those from the 60s and the 70s, were entered into a database. This collection contains used versions, rather than new publications. By analyzing these data, I will discuss important issues on readership, like the disposal of the so-called "Poisonous Weeds" (ducao, "detrimental books"), which took place in the libraries during the Cultural Revolution.2) The majority of these comic books were translations. From these, an examination of the translations of children's literature and picture books of the Soviet Union from the 50s to the 70s has produced particulary interesting results. The specifics of these results will be presented.3) Even for the same title, illustrations and text could differ based on the different versions of the book. Observations on these disparities will be addressed. For inst … More ance, in texts that treat Lei Feng, differences in the depictions of the soldiers' clothes and in the images of Mao Zedong in the background are apparent. Furthermore, toward the end of the twentieth century, numerous reproductions of Chinese comic books were produced. However, since many textual disparities exist between them and the originals, it has become evident that they cannot be designated as "reproductions." This fact should serve as a warning for those scholars researching Chinese comic books.4) As for journals of Chinese comic books, I have obtained Lianhuan huabao (Illustrated Journal of Chinese Comics), Gongnongbing huabao (Illustrated Journal of Factory Workers, Farmers, and Soldiers), and the children's magazine Hong xiaobing (The Little Red Guard) published during the Cultural Revolution. I am currently working on producing a table of contents and other pertinent information for these items.I will continue to investigate these issues and will publish their results accordingly. Less